My Books for Kids

I don't often mention my own books, but decided to do it once in a while. They're all available online at places like Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and local bookstores can get them through their distributors.

The Peril of the Sinister Scientist is about a kid in Middle School who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin. He needs to know What Would Jesus Do. The publisher rushed it into publication so I could have it ready for a group book signing so the kid on the cover doesn't look at all like the main character.

Secret Service Saint is about Nicholas, who discovers the fun of doing secret good deeds. It's a surprise at the end that he becomes known as Santa Claus, so this might be a good time for kids to hear the story and learn the truth about Santa Claus.

Signs of Trouble is about kids who get separated from their Special Ed class on a field trip and use what they've learned about recognizing signs and following safety rules to get reunited. It has educational information in the back that would be helpful for classes and home schooled kids.

Slime & All is about a giant, talking worm who wants a friend and a boy who helps him. It's written at second grade reading level and I hope it encourages kids to accept people who are different.

A Shadow of Fear is about a boy who must face his fears to help a friend with a special need when her "helper dog" is lost. (It's not an official Service Dog.)

It's just a coincidence that all my books for kids have the letter, S, in the titles.

My Books for Kids

    I don’t usually talk about my own books here but, since Christmas is approaching, I thought some people might like to consider them as gifts for kids. They’re all available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and can be ordered at local bookstores.

    Signs of Trouble is about kids with learning disabilities who get separated from their class on a field trip and use what they’ve learned about safety to get reunited. Educational material for early readers is included at the end.



    Slime & All is about a giant, talking worm who wants a friend and a boy who helps him. It’s an early chapter book at Second Grade reading level.

  















The other books all have Christian content.

    Secret Service Saint is especially appropriate for this time of year. It’s about Nicholas, who

discovers the joy of doing secret good deeds and eventually becomes known as Santa Claus.

















  The last two books are for readers from 8 to 13 years old.

    The Peril of the Sinister Scientist is about a boy who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin because a scientist who worked on that experiment is stalking him. The concept is, what would Jesus do in middle school? (The kid on the cover does not look like the main character.)

    A Shadow of Fear is about a boy who needs to face his fears to prove he’s mature enough to go to camp and also to help a friend with Special Needs.

   

My First Book

Do you remember seeing signs, T Shirts and jewelry with the letters, WWJD a few decades ago?
Those letters stood for the phrase, What Would Jesus Do?

At the time I was a substitute teacher and sometimes worked with kids in Middle School. I wondered how Jesus might have acted if he'd been a kid in an environment like that.

Later that question inspired me to write my first published book, The Peril of the Sinister Scientist.
It's about a boy in Middle School who wants to act like Jesus.

I needed a strong motivation for him, and thought of one: the boy thinks he might be a clone of Jesus Christ because a scientist who worked on an experiment to clone Jesus is stalking him.

The book is with a small publishing house, and the publisher hurried it into publication ahead of schedule so I would be able to participate in a group book signing. Unfortunately, because of the rush, the kid on the cover doesn't look like the main character in the book.

The book was published in 2009 but it's still available on Amazon
(Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/hbdhtuu ) and bookstores can order it through their distributors.

Here's what the cover looks like:

My Books

I rarely mention the books I've written in my blog because I don't want to badger people with self promotion. But the holiday season is here, so I thought I'd mention my books for kids just this once in case anyone wants to order them online or request them from local bookstores to give to kids.

Secret Service Saint is especially good for Christmas because it's based on historical information about Saint Nicholas. I didn't mention the secret good deed that saint is actually supposed to have done because tossing dowry money down the chimney to save girls from prostitution when their father died isn't a suitable subject for children. Instead I made up other secret good deeds for Nicolas to do and it's a surprise at the end that he becomes known as Santa Claus.

Signs of Trouble is about kids who get separated from their Special Education class on a field trip and use what they've learned about safety rules and signs to get reunited. It includes educational information about safety, signs, and special needs at the end.

Slime & All is an early chapter book at Second Grade reading level about a giant talking worm who wants a friend and the boy who helps him. It's sort of an allegory about accepting people who are different.

The Peril of the Sinister Scientist is an amusing middle grade novel about a boy who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin. He needs to know "What would Jesus do?" in middle school and escape the scientist who is pursuing him.

A Shadow of Fear is another Christian book for middle grade kids. It's about a boy who wants to prove he's mature enough so his parents will let him go to camp, but he must face his worst fears to help a friend with Special Needs. This book is not available in bookstores, but can be ordered from Amazon.

Why I Blog

I started blogging in the Spring of 2009 Because my first book was under contract and I'd heard blogging was supposed to help publicize books. That book was Secret Service Saint about Nicholas, who discovered the joy of doing secret good deeds and eventually became known as Santa Claus.

To my surprise, another book was actually published before that one. It was The Peril of the Sinister Scientist and the publisher moved it ahead of the scheduled publication date so I'd be able to participate in a group signing with some of their other authors. That book is based on the idea, what would Jesus do in Middle School?

I had two more books published by that house, Guardian Angel Publishing and my most recent book, A Shadow of Fear, has been published by Mantle Rock Publishing.

I don't know if blogging has actually helped with the sales of any of my books, but I keep doing it  every Wednesday and Saturday because I enjoy it.

At first I wondered if I'd be able to think of things to blog about twice a week for a few months. And how could I come up with enough ideas for a whole year?

Well, it's been over five years and the ideas are still coming. The topics of words, books, and kids provide plenty of material. And I plan to keep on blogging as long as I can.

Why Do They Appear?

Although I didn't plan it, all of the books I've had published seem to deal with Special Needs in some way.

In The Peril of the Sinister Scientist one of the main characters uses a wheelchair.  

Signs of Trouble is about kids with learning disabilities who get separated from their Special Ed class on a field trip.  

Secret Service Saint isn't specifically about  Special Needs, but the main character secretly helps someone who is sick.

Slime & All is about a giant, talking worm who wants to be accepted and lots of kids with physical, mental, or emotional limitations can identify with him.

And I have a story in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book, I Can't Believe My Dog Did That, about a deaf dog who helps a child.

So, why do things like that keep appearing in my writing?

Well, when I was a kid I had severe, chronic asthma and was sent to a convalescent home where I met lots of kids with handicaps. (Yes, I know that term isn't politically correct now. Too bad.)

In high school I volunteered with the local Society for Crippled Children. Later I worked at California School for the Deaf so my husband and I raised several Deaf foster kids who had various special needs. I worked as an aide in a Special Education class, then became a substitute teacher and worked in lots of other Special Ed classes.

I guess all that experience somehow got into my subconscious. Those "Special" people have been part of my life for so long they pop up in my mind when I'm writing. They aren't unusual to me.

I wish everyone would feel that way and treat them as they do everyone else.

The Peril of the Sinister Scientist

When my first book, The Peril of the Sinister Scientist, was published in the summer of 'o9 I took a copy to the local paper but they had no interest in my press release. This week, to my surprise, Ryan Rindels, a new writer for the paper, called me. He said he'd been given the copy of my book by an editor, and interviewed me about writing.

On Thursday he sent a photographer to my house. As you can tell by the photo, my dog found the camera fascinating.

Yesterday the story ran and it took up most of the front page in the Religion section. I was amazed to have such a big spread.

I wish the nice young man who wrote the article had mentioned my newer books, but I'm pleased to have gotten this unexpected publicity.

Here's the link to the story and picture: http://www.theunion.com/article/20111007/FEATURES/111009763/1066&ParentProfile=1053

What For?

About a year ago I was trying to figure out a tag line that would apply to all the writing I do. The one factor that has been consistent in both my writing and my life is caring about people who are different, often because of special needs, and helping others to understand and accept them. Maybe that's because I had severe chronic asthma as a child and was often teased and bullied.

The tag line I decided to use is "Opening Eyes, Opening Hearts" and I hope my books do that for kids. The Peril of the Sinister Scientist has a protagonist who doesn't know who his father is and features another character who uses a wheelchair. Secret Service Saint shows the young man who later became Saint Nicholas helping people dealing with illness and poverty. And Signs of Trouble, my newest book, is about kids with learning disabilities who get separated from their class on a field trip. Besides helping children understand learning disabilities that book also shows them ways to stay safe themselves.

Soon I'll be going back to substitute teaching and will probably work in a lot of Special Education classes because of my experience in that area.

I hope both my writing and my teaching will help to open people's eyes and hearts.

Craft Fair

As you read this I'm probably in a booth at a local craft fair (hopefully) selling lots of my books.

Secret Service Saint is a Christmas picture book about Nicholas, who discovers the joy of secret giving and eventually becomes known as Santa Claus. I'm hoping it will help children realize Christmas isn't just about getting presents.

The Peril of the Sinister Scientist is a book for older kids based on the question, what would Jesus do in Middle School. It's about an imaginative kid who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin because a scientist who worked on that experiment twelve years ago is stalking him.

I'll also offer some books I wrote and self-published years ago.

It's too bad my next book, Signs of Trouble, hasn't been published yet. It will be out soon. That book is about kids with learning disabilities who get separated from their class on a field trip and is written at a second grade reading level. It includes some educational activities at the end of the story.

It's always fun to participate in events like this because I get to meet lots of nice people.

Shroud of Turin?

Because my book, The Peril of the Sinister Scientist, is about a kid who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin I've been watching for information about the Shroud. Besides the obvious things such as the current display and comments the Pope has made on the topic, there has been a lot on the internet about the validity of the Shroud.

Scientists in the '80s did carbon dating and are certain that it could not have existed before the Middle Ages, but they can't agree on a convincing explanation of how it was created. Apparently some sort of radiation was involved, but it's not likely that there was a radioactive corpse.

Here's a possibility nobody has considered; what if the cloth had been placed over a statue of Jesus Christ that was carved from some sort of radioactive material? That doesn't explain the blood on the Shroud, but it's not impossible that whoever authorized the creation of the statue might have added human blood to make it look authentic and impress people. (Hmmm... Maybe that would make a good plot idea. Too bad I don't write that sort of books.)

A lot of people in the Catholic Church believe that the Shroud of Turin actually was the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. But it doesn't take scientific evidence to make the authenticity of the Shroud doubtful. According to the Bible, Jesus was buried in two separate cloths, one on his head and one on his body. The Shroud of Turin is only one piece of cloth.

However all Christians can be inspired by the reminder it gives of the Crucifixion. I hope my book will also be an inspiration to the kids who read it.

Author Visit

Recently I've visited several schools to talk about my books, Secret Service Saint and The Peril of the Sinister Scientist and talk to the kids about writing. Because I used to be teacher I find that a fun way to spend a few hours and hope the students learn some helpful information from me.

Because I was a substitute teacher for a few years I can tell a lot about schools in a short time and have been positively impressed with the ones I've visited. It occurred to me that parents might like a few hints about how to judge the quality of a school where they might be considering enrolling their kids. Even though the school year is under way, sometimes children need to change schools because of moving or other reasons.

When entering a school you're considering the first thing to do is listen. If you stand in the hallway you should be able to hear a murmur of children's voices. Excessive shouting, adults yelling and scolding, or total silence may be warning signs that something is wrong. Of course those sounds (or lack thereof) are likely to be heard in any school from time to time, but if you hear them when you enter the building and again when you leave or return for another visit something might be wrong.

Next, use your eyes. Are there interesting posters and student work on display? Are those worn and yellowed with age or do they seem to have been updated recently? Is the building relatively clean?

As you walk along the corridors try to glance into each classroom as you pass by. Are most of the kids focused on what is being taught? Do some of them raise their hands and ask questions? Do most of them seem to care about what is happening?

If it's time for recess or the end of the school day and the kids are leaving the classrooms how do they behave? Do they walk in lines or run and shove? Are they kind and considerate or at least polite to each other?

Things like that can tell you a lot about the quality of the teaching.

I'm pleased to say the schools where I've done author visits have all passed these tests with flying colors and seem to be excellent.

Shroud Poems

Since my tweener fiction book, The Peril of the Sinister Scientist, is about a kid who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin a friend, Rev Earl Langguth, gave me these two poems he wrote with permission to post them here.

SEQUENCING JESUS

Might Turin’s shroud be stained with Jesus’ blood?

Could we from it extract some DNA?

What might this tell us of our Saviour’s birth,

And might it cause the faithful some dismay?

While mitochondria from Mary came,

Might autosomes suggest a man to blame?

But then, how did the Holy Spirit work?

Could sequencing detect divine control?

Since Jesus was as human as ourselves,

Would not His chromosomes be normal, whole?

I doubt we could the slightest change display,

Divinity’s not shown by DNA

God’s Spirit did that special babe conceive,

He was to live and grow as Joseph’s son,

Would not the genes of David’s line be there,

As if with Joseph’s seed He was begun?

God’s Word is seen in all He did and said,

God sealed it by His rising from the dead!

SEND IN THE CLONES

Geneticists now seem about to gain

Abilities undreamt of in the past,

The monk named Gregor Mendel found the key

To make us think to master life at last.

The double helix yields its complex mold

As mystery relinquishes control

We hope at length to use new knowledge vast,

But know you this: you cannot clone the soul!

If you could clone a man, you’d get his shape

His kind of hair, his eyes, his build, his skin;

And outwardly you’d think him quite the same

But lawlessness would reign there, deep within

An animal in man-shape, not a man

You would achieve, far short of reason’s goal,

Without a spirit, lacking right and wrong—

Because, you see, one cannot clone the soul!

Oh yes, perhaps some scientist will strive

To clone himself— his wife— perhaps his kin;

And he’ll endure the years which then must pass

Before his claims to fame might then begin;

But he will soon discover how he’s failed;

His creature’s nature will be flawed, not whole

A beast which looks quite human, but is not!

Be warned: we cannot think to clone the soul!

I would be interested to hear what people think of Rev. Earl's ideas and will share any comments with him.

A few people have expressed concern about mentioning the possibility of human cloning in a book for kids, but The Peril of the Sinister Scientist is obviously fiction. Most younger readers would just consider Joshua's imaginative ideas part of the plot, and parents of kids old enough to understand the concept would find it an excellent opportunity to discuss such things with them. The book has a definite Christian message.

Shroud of Turin

A story about the Shroud of Turin is in the news today. A scientist named Luigi Garlaschelli is supposed to have shown that the Shroud isn't real. Maybe I should send him a copy of my book, The Peril of the Sinister Scientist, which is about a kid who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin because a scientist who worked on that experiment is stalking him.

Nah. Even if he speaks English he probably wouldn't want to read a fiction book. And, anyway, I don't know how to contact him.

The Value of Reading

As you may have read here a couple of weeks ago, I'm the author of a newly published book for kids, The Peril of the Sinister Scientist.

Books have always been an important part of my life. You might consider me a bookaholic who has no intention of getting into recovery. ;-)

One reason I write is to give back some of the benefits books have given me.

Reading can have a positive influence on kids in many ways and books don't need to be teachy-preachy (mine is certainly not like that) in order to make a difference. By reading fiction kids use their own imaginations and become more creative, learn to understand people who are different from themselves, and discover new ways of looking at the world. They may also get reassurance from characters who are dealing with the same sorts of problems they have, and sometimes books can provide a much-needed escape from those problems. Reading fun books prevents boredom, and vicarious adventures are much safer than some real life ones.

Of course by reading a lot kids are also improving their own language skills, which will help both with their academic learning and their ability to communicate with others.

I hope my book will be used to make a positive difference in the lives of everyone who reads it.